So, it’s that time where we are expected to share what we enjoyed most – or least – about the year. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, I will “keep it on a high note” – mainly because there was so much good that I don’t have room for the bad. Local and national are in the spotlight as I look back over what I enjoyed about my entertainment experiences this year. Ready. Set. Go.
In concert – The Royalty Tour starring Mary J. Blige and Nas at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and a rap king gave an electrifying experience when they co-headlined at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre over the summer. They were both at the top of their game on stage – even if I could have stood for a few more hits from Nas.
A close second: Brian Owens’ Michael McDonald Art for LIFE Arts Inc. benefit concert. When Owens promoted the show with the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ferguson native Michael McDonald for its fundraiser, I thought he was going to accept his award, sing one song and sit down. Instead, McDonald, Owens, the young artists that are involved in his program and special guest Kennedy Holmes gave the audience an unforgettable stroll through his catalog of classics.
Lizzo live at third: She was not a household name yet, but the buzz was growing to where we were lucky to book her for The Pageant to the point where the show sold-out the same day. But then the BET Awards happened and Lizzo became 100 percent that chick (edited for print) to the masses and full on phenomenon thanks to her MTV VMA performance. She kept her intimate-ish gig at The Pageant – and proved worthy of the entertainment success story of the year.
Honorable mentions: An Evening of Soul with Eric Benet, Vivian Green and Anthony Hamilton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Gary Clark Jr.
On stage – “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” Shout out to Terence Blanchard for the opera, Kasi Lemmons for the libretto and Charles Blow for being open to share his book remixed into an opera. And shout out to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for allowing them to stage the world premiere. The cast was phenomenal. The story was brilliantly told. It’s no secret how overwhelmingly white the storylines and the storytellers are within the art form -and I saw this as a person who loves it. So, I know the transformative power of seeing a story so authentically African American, told by African Americans and met with critical acclaim. I’m wishing the show the best when it makes its way to the Metropolitan Opera House – and Terence Blanchard becomes the first African American compose to have an opera play there in its history, a whole 136 years.
Also noteworthy: The Black Rep’s presentation of “Canfield Drive” and the Black Rep/COCA collaboration of “Four Little Girls,” and New Jewish Theatre’s “District Merchants.”
On TV- “Watchmen.” Three words sum it up: Yahya Abdul Mateen (II). He was the bright spot in Jordan Peele’s “Us” and I was hoping that the decision makers in Hollywood saw what I did in his brief, but unforgettable appearance in the film. What a difference some months can make. I didn’t see him in “Aquaman” at the end of 2018 or “The Get down” until after he caught my attention in “Us.” So, pardon me as I give myself more credit than I deserve in identifying the “it” factor. Either way, he is booked and busy for the foreseeable future with upcoming roles in “The Matrix 4” and “Candyman”. His portrayal as Cal opposite the magnificent Regina King in the HBO drama based on the graphic novel serves as a chance to see him in all his glory – like all of it – in an NC-17 way. The show had the general population shook with its overt display of racial terror against black people that kicks off with the Tulsa race riots. The acting is brilliant and story itself is a mind-bender, but so worth it.
Runners’ Up: Eddie Murphy’s SNL return comes in at second – as much for the surplus of hilarious interviews that he participated in to hype the show up as the show itself. FX’s drug crime drama “Snowfall” is in third. Close behind it is the limited series “When They See Us,” Ava DuVernay’s interpretation of the Central Park Five case.
At the movies – I spent most of the year underwhelmed by the hyped-up films that were supposed to be defining moments in black cinema for 2019. But I was thrilled that St. Louis native Sterling K. Brown came through in the clutch with his anchoring performance in “Waves.” The same can be said for “Dolemite Is My Name.” And while folks are rightfully kissing the ring of Eddie Murphy for bringing the heat in the title role, Wesley Snipes is not getting the credit he deserves as D’Urville Martin. I enjoyed “The Last Black Man In San Francisco” as well – especially the performance of Jonathan Majors as Monty.
In Music – Rapsody’s “Eve” was the whole entire mood from the time it dropped this summer until right now. It was such a landslide, that I am forgoing any honorable mention so that folks know for sure that no other record stood a chance after she hit us with a whole collection of black woman empowerment set to song with each title named for a separate she-ro. I really hate that “Eve” didn’t turn into a smash like “Miseducation” did for Ms. Lauryn Hill, because this career-defining record is already a classic in my book. I truly hope that Rapsody gets the “Lizzo” treatment with “Eve.” In other words, two or three years down the line everybody is tipped off to what a gem the album and the artist are. Then they pump her up to the max like she hasn’t been out her grinding with all her might completely under the mainstream’s radar
